Threads of fate
by yumenosuta11
Summary: AU- Kaoru has set out on a self-strengthening journey, leaving her old life behind. With many editions to the journey, she may discover secrets to her world which may lead to the ultimate destruction or final weaving of her world's threads of fate.
1. Chapter 1

AN- Hello everyone! So I have been an avid reader of fanfiction for many years but have never attempted to write anything of my own. But I guess a muse finally hit me and after much deliberation I have decided to post it up! This is my first ever fanfiction so I hope you will keep that in mind as you read and comment ;-P Anyways i really enjoyed writing this and I really hope you enjoy reading! Comments and constructive criticism is always welcome and much appreciated! Enjoy :)

Disclaimer- I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. It is the sole property of Nobuhiro Watsuki.

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><p><strong>Chapter One: The first threads intertwine<strong>

The sun blazed high in the noon sky over the dry land. As the rays traveled down to strike the earth, one lone traveler tilted their broad rimmed hat further down to protect themselves from the harsh rays. The lone traveler walked steadily down the dusty, beaten road with little else moving in either direction. A few trees dotted the sides of the road but other than that little else could be seen. Through the screeching of the vultures high in the sky, one could hear the soft shuffle of the traveler's long wide legged pants sifting softly against the dry road. Light puffs of dust kicked up each time the travelers sensible, comfortable shoes moved down the road. A brown dusty cloak draped over the traveler and through the openings of the cloak, a scabbard could be seen strapped to a lean hip.

With a soft sigh barely audible the traveler stopped for a minute. Reaching over one shoulder, a small satchel came in to view hanging down the back of the cloak. Pulling out a small canteen, the traveler tipped their head back and took a long sip. Squinted eyes finally opened to reveal brilliant sapphire colored eyes. They were set in a small heart shaped face with a petite nose and slightly full mouth with a stubborn tilt. Capping the flask and slinging the satchel back over one slender shoulder the traveler wiped the corners of their mouth with the wide sleeves of the cloak. After making slight adjustments to the cream colored hakama pants visible behind the cloak the traveler once again picked up a steady tread down the winding dirt road.

Dusk found the traveler entering a small village perched just slightly off the main road. Stopping at the gates leading into the village, the traveler took a quick look around. Most villagers seemed to be closing up small shops for the day, while others could be seen entering the village outskirts no doubt from the fields bordering the village. Spotting a nearby elderly woman drawing water from a well, the traveler headed over in that direction. Seeing the woman struggling to bring up the bucket of water, the traveler stepped up and bowed politely to the woman.

"Please mum, let me help you draw the water out," the traveler murmured while quickly grasping the rope before the elderly woman could reply. With a grateful sigh the woman stepped back and watched the traveler quickly and efficiently draw out the bucket with ease. Placing the bucket lightly onto the rim of the well, the traveler turned back to the elder.

"Thank you, child. Nowadays raising that bucket full of water has seemed to become too much for these tired old bones. If I couldn't trouble you for a minute more would you mind carrying the bucket home for me? It's not too far from here." The traveler bowed slightly again and replied "of course mum." The elderly woman turned and adjusted a small bundle on her hip and then started off into the village. Grasping the bucket of water firmly, the traveler followed behind her.

By this time the sun had fully fallen and true dark was settling on the small village. Villagers had come out to place brightly lit lanterns on small holsters found scattered throughout the village to help illuminate the path way for those still making their way home. Reaching a small house not too far from the well, the grandmother quickly opened the small gate in front of the house and ushered the traveler in.

"Here child, come quickly I'm sure that bucket is quite heavy." Stepping up to the door to the small house, the elderly woman pushed open the door and beckoned the traveler in, before scurrying out of view of the doorway. The traveler entered the door and stood off politely to the side just inside the doorway listening to the sounds of rummaging coming from deeper inside the house. A few moments later a light flared on, and blinking to adjust to the light, the traveler could make out the form of the woman working her way back to the doorway.

Scurrying across what the traveler could make out as a small sitting room, furnished with a cheerful fireplace, the old woman beckoned. "Please child come in, come in. Place that bucket there by the fire and sit yourself down in that chair there. Now I'm going to have to insist you stay for supper, child, as you've done such a kind deed for me today. What is your name child?"

Placing the bucket by the side of the fire place, the traveler respectfully removed the hat before perching lightly on the chair. A cascade of black hair with tints of blue tied up in a horse tail flowed down the traveler's back after finally being freed of the confines of the hat, while a layer of bangs helped frame a heart shaped face. With a small, grateful smile, the traveler replied: "Hai mum, my name is Kaoru mum."

"Oh how lovely you are child, now that I can properly see your face. Have you been traveling all day? Oh child you must be exhausted and near famished. Let me get you a glass of water before I start off the dinner, and you just rest your feet there for the time being." The old woman started puttering around grabbing pots and pans, but not before handing a tall glass of water to Kaoru and then heading over to a room just off of the sitting room, which Kaoru assumed to be the kitchen.

Taking a large gulp of water gratefully, Kaoru surveyed the room with a mild interest. Other than the two chairs placed in front of the fire place, there was a small cushioned bench placed across one wall of the room. The other end of the room held a table with a set of four chairs. There was another doorway leading out of the room opposite the small bench. Directly across from Kaoru was the doorway leading to the kitchen, where she could hear the sound of pots and pans being stirred around and delicious smells start wafting out. Other small knick knacks filled the room: a small stool here, a basket full of weaving there, a small rug placed in the center of the room. Over all, the house was not too furnished but even so had a very homely air. Kaoru fully relaxed back into her chair, which she found was a rocking chair, feeling very comfortable and at ease.

The old woman bustled back in to the room arms full of serving dishes and food balanced quite precariously. Placing her now empty cup on the floor, Kaoru hurried over to the side of the table to relieve some of the load in the woman's arms. The elder smiled gratefully at her and began directing Kaoru on where to set the items. After a few more trips in to the kitchen the elder finally placed the last item on the table and turned to Kaoru with a kind smile.

"Ok child now let us eat before the food gets to cold." However before Kaoru could sit, sharp, aged eyes scanned her over before clucking disapprovingly. "Now child you know better than to sit at the table with your travel cloak and sack still strapped about you. Why don't you just take them off and place them by the wall there, and we shall eat in peace and comfort."

Blushing lightly that she had forgotten, Kaoru unslung her sack and leaned it against the wall near the table. Unclasping the hook of her cloak found at the upper left corner near her shoulder, she slid off the cloak before folding it neatly and setting it atop the satchel. One hand slid down to the scabbard at her hip now exposed, and hesitated a bit. She didn't miss the way the elders eye sharpened a bit when they fell on the scabbard but since she made no comments, Kaoru mentally shrugged and also unhooked it and leaned it against the wall. Swords were not an uncommon thing in this day and age but it was a rarity to be seen on a woman. However the old woman did not ask any questions and Kaoru didn't volunteer any information.

Glancing down at the table, Kaoru noticed that it had been set for three. On her inspection of the small house, Kaoru didn't see anything indicating that the old woman had a husband or any child. She hesitated slightly before taking her place at one of the chairs. Seeing Kaoru's hesitance and glance at the third place setting, the old woman smiled lightly before speaking up: "Ah child we are just waiting on little Tsubame to come in, she should just be getting in any minute now."

Surely enough there was the sound of another door opening from deeper in the house, which Kaoru guessed may have been a back door. Light, timid footsteps could be heard coming closer before they stopped. Glancing up in question when no one came into view, Kaoru looked over in to the doorway that lead to the kitchen. Hiding behind the framework with just one eye peeking out, Kaoru could make out the figure of what looked like a small child glancing shyly at her from her hiding spot. When the child noticed Kaoru's gaze a small squeak was heard before the child retreated all the way back into the kitchen.

The old woman sighed lightly and shook her head before turning toward Kaoru. "You'll have to forgive Tsubame child. She is quite shy and doesn't know how to handle herself much around company. She really is the sweetest thing but has had quite some experiences when it comes to strangers. Because of this she tends to shy away from almost all people except those she trusts and knows completely. Let me go call her out but don't be offended child if she doesn't say much. That poor child has really been through a lot."

The old woman turned back and shuffled out through the doorway. Kaoru could hear the sound of murmuring but couldn't clearly make out what was being said. After a few moments of waiting, the old woman came back through the door. Following closely behind her was the child whom Kaoru could see had the elder's skirts grasped firmly in one had. The child had her head bent down, with her chin length hair covering as much of her face as it could. She walked almost on the heels of the elder and stayed as hidden as she could behind her.

Coming to the table the elder paused, and then reached behind her to draw the child in front of her. "Now Tsubame child don't be rude and say hello to our guest." Shyly, Tsubame lifted her head and met Kaoru's eyes hesitantly. "Konichiwa,"was the quite reply. Kaoru smiled gently at the girl before nodding her head in acknowledgement of the greeting. The child held eye contact for a few moments before shyly ducking her head again.

In those moments Kaoru studied her face and realized that Tsubame wasn't so much a child as a teen. She had a thin face with high cheekbones which had the look of someone who had gone weeks without proper nourishment but had recently begun to gain some of it back. She had wide brown eyes set atop a small nose and thin mouth. A thin ribbon held chin length, chocolate brown hair back from her face. Her body was thin and her cloths hung loosely around her slender body. Her height Kaoru estimate to be close to 5 feet, smaller than Kaoru's own five foot four inches. Both her height and weight had fooled Kaoru into thinking that she was a child.

The grandmother cleared her throat lightly to which Tsubame jumped before blushing and sliding into the chair directly across from Kaoru. Kaoru chuckled lightly at that and then folded her hands into the wide sleeves of her gi and waited for the elder to take her place at the last setting on the table. Once the elder was seated she bowed her head. Kaoru looked on curiously and saw that Tsubame to had her head bent with hands clasped loosely in front of her. Realizing that they were sending thanks for the food, Kaoru too bent her head and sent a quick prayer of thanks for the food.

Glancing up her heart stirred a bit at forgotten memories. She could remember times when she and her father had sat at the table just like this thanking kami-sama for the food gifted them. Her father would patiently instruct Kaoru of the importance of doing so to always keep in kami-sama's good graces, while a young impatient Kaoru would want nothing but to dive head first in to the food. That was years ago while her father had still been part of this world.

Stilling her mind, Kaoru pushed the painful memories back down and looked up to see Tsubame watching her across the table. For a moment their eyes met and Kaoru could see understanding in Tsubame's eyes which spoke of a deep loss of the child's own. In that moment both Kaoru and Tsubame seemed to connect and she could see a little bit of acceptance enter Tsubame's eyes. Kaoru did a quick re-evaluation of Tsubame there, realizing that there was much more buried under her shy exterior than she let on.

"Okay children now that our prayers of thanks have been sent, let us eat," the elder exclaimed jovially before grabbing a bowl of steaming rice next to her and dishing out portions to the plates set around the table. Tsubame also reached across the table and grasped the pot of stew sitting halfway between her and Kaoru. As she did so her sleeve pulled back a bit, and on the insides of her wrist Kaoru could see what looked like fading bruises and old scars. Seeing Kaoru's gaze, Tsubame quickly shifted back and readjusted her sleeve to hide her arms back up to the backs of her hands. Her eyes shuttered once again and Kaoru realized that Tsubame had put up her invisible defenses once more. Kaoru made a mental note to ask the grandmother about what exactly had happened to the child to leave such marks on her body.

Dinner was a quite event with little noise other than the clinking of dishes as they ate. The food was a simple affair but delicious none the less. The stew was hearty filled with large chunks of vegetables and beef. The rice was warm and topped with a spicy curry which Kaoru took an instant liking to. Warm rolls accompanied the food to help wash down the spice of the curry. For dessert the elder pulled out sweet buns which were crumbly on touch and spread over the tongue with their sweetness.

As dinner wrapped up, Kaoru stood and grabbed some dishes determined to repay the elder's kindness with some chores. The elder smiled in understanding and let Kaoru carry on. Walking into the small kitchen in the back of the house, Kaoru placed the dirty dishes into the sink and headed back to grab the remaining ones left on the table. As she walked back into the kitchen with the last load of dishes, she could hear the elder give Tsubame soft instructions to start tea over the fire place in the living room. Hearing the scrape of chairs on the wooden floor, Kaoru quickly ran the water to lather the dirty dishes in soap and started washing the dishes.

As she began rubbing the dishes down with soap and a rag, Kaoru heard the steady shuffle of the elder as she made her way back into the kitchen. She entered the kitchen but didn't say anything to Kaoru and began placing the left-over food into bins to be eaten tomorrow. For a while both Kaoru and the elder were silent, engrossed in their work. However the scars and bruises on Tsubame's wrist were a constant niggling in the back of her mind and Kaoru decided now was the best time to bring it up while Tsubame was in the other room.

"…Grandmother, earlier you had mentioned that Tsubame didn't deal well with strangers. I was wondering, if it isn't too much trouble, if you might explain to me why."

The grandmother stilled from what she was doing and then sighed: "Oh hai child I did mention that to you didn't I? And I'm sure Tsubame's own behavior spoke for itself. Well child, Tsubame is not an actual native of this village. In fact she hasn't been here but a few weeks now. She was actually found not too far from the village in one of the fields." The elder hesitated for a moment, and then stopped what she was doing to face Kaoru. "I don't know why child but something inside of me is telling me to trust you and tell you what I know of Tsubame. I feel that you maybe what is needed to help that child. And your actions to me today have told me that you are kind, sweet child who has no mal-intentions."

Taking a deep breath the elder began Tsubame's story: "Well child a few weeks ago there was a slight scare in the village. It seemed a pack of bandits had been seen not too far down the road and where making their way close to our village. We are a small village with little to offer but often that doesn't deter the bandits. But we were lucky. Other than pillaging some of the more distant fields, these bandits didn't seem to want much else from our village. We waited a few days locked in our houses, our men folk armed and ready to do what was needed should the bandits make their way in to the village. However after a few days it was deemed clear and safe and we all headed out to the fields to see how much damage had been done. That night I had been just clearing up for the night and settling in, when a group of the men folk came knocking on my door. It seemed that the bandits had left something behind. The men folk had found Tsubame abandoned and badly beaten in one of the far fields. The child had been unconscious and near knocking on deaths door. None of the men folk could recognize the child as one of our villages' own and decided to bring her to me. You see child I have been alone for many years now, my husband having passed a few years ago and my own son having left the village for his own journey."

Here she paused, her eyes glazing over slightly with past memories. Shaking herself slightly, the elder cleared her throat and continued on. "So they decided to bring her to me seeing as how I would have the most time to nurture the poor child. Oh my dear and how badly beaten and scarred was that child. That first night when I first removed her cloths to bathe and dress her wounds I was near overcome with tears at the state that child was in. Bruises covered almost every inch of that child's body, scars almost every else. There were whip marks down her back and her legs some still fresh and seeping. That night and almost for the next three days, I stayed every waking moment with that child coaxing her back to health and fighting fever and infection that had set in her wounds."

"She stayed unconscious those three whole days and towards the end of the third day I had near given up hope that the child would pull through. But thank kami-sama that night her fever finally broke. The next morning the child woke and she was all big eyes in that poor shrunken face. Upon waking she curled up and backed as far away from me as her strength would allow. Poor child was shaking so much from fear and weariness but would not let me near her, that traumatized was she. After much soothing and crooning from me she finally relaxed after several hours and then slowly allowed me to give her food and water and then treat her wounds. She has been recovering her health slowly since then but she speaks not at all of what happened and how she got here. In fact child says very little as it is and has an inherent fear of any strangers, especially the men folk."

Here the grandmother paused again and wiped her wet eyes. "The sweetest child is she and she is nothing but helpful around here so quick to help with chores and help relieve my burdens. One thing I will say, even with all of her experiences I do see a fighting spirit in that child. Even given everything she has been through she has a strong will to live. But child I can see that she has also taken an instant liking to you as well. Never have I seen her more relaxed around someone as she is with you. That is why I say that there must be something good that you can do for that child." Here the grandmother stopped and then turned back to finishing her task of packing up the leftovers.

Kaoru had steadily washed the dishes throughout the story, fearing that if she stopped her anger at what she could only imagine those bandits had done to Tsubame begin leaking out. She recalled the way Tsubame had barely been able to make eye contact with her throughout dinner but then had seen understanding in her eyes, seen Tsubame relating her own pain to something reflected in Kaoru's eyes over dinner. Kaoru's father had raised her to be strong and independent, with strong morals on protecting those who could not protect themselves. In fact much of her travels centered around the fact that Kaoru wanted to strengthen herself so she could provide strength to people like Tsubame.

Looking down Kaoru could see her hands shaking, clutching the plate so tightly her knuckles had turned white and were in danger of snapping the plate in half. Placing the plate back into the soapy water, Kaoru took a deep breath and started composing herself once again. Concentrating on her calming exercises, she used washing the dishes as a good meditation tool to help center herself once more. At least Tsubame was no longer in any danger here and seemed to be recovering well from what the elder said. That would have to be enough for now and Kaoru would reinforce her own goals to become stronger and help others in similar situations as Tsubame.

After finishing up the dishes Kaoru made her way back into the sitting room, grabbing her pack, cloak and scabbard from near the table on the way. Near the fireplace she could see that the grandmother had settled into one of the chairs sitting in front of the fireplace while Tsubame was kneeling in front of the flames working on what looked to be a pot of tea. Glancing up and noticing Kaoru's belongings in her hand the elder spoke up.

"Now child where do you think you are going?" Before Kaoru could speak up and explain she would just camp out for the night and couldn't impose on her hospitality anymore, the elder was up, pulling Kaoru's belongings from her hand and then beckoning Kaoru over to the other chair by the fire. "Now now child, you shall not be heading anywhere at this time of night. I'm sure you don't have any accommodations for the night and I won't hear anything of you staying somewhere else. Now you just settle yourself down in the chair here, and we will enjoy our nice cup of tea together before we call it a night." All during her rant the elder had pushed Kaoru back into the chair and then Tsubame was in front of her shyly offering her a steaming cup of tea. Feeling humbled by how honest and accepting these people where, Kaoru stopped her protests and instead took the tea from Tsubame.

"Thank you so much mum, I am forever in your debt for all the kindness you have paid me today." The grandmother waved away her thanks and just accepted her own cup of tea, sipping lightly and sighing in pleasure. "Tsubame here makes the most wonderful cup of tea, Kaoru-san. You must try it!" Hearing the praise Tsubame turned deep red to the tips of her hair before burying her face in her own cup of tea. Taking a sip and marveling at the rich taste of the herbal tea, Kaoru couldn't help but concur. "Ah mum, you are most definitely right. That is one of the finest cups of tea I have ever tasted." Tsubame squeaked lightly, before bowing her head in silent thanks to the praise. Kaoru smiled warmly at the girl, marveling at how such a tiny thing could have gone through such trauma. Pushing the depressing thoughts out of her mind, the three companions spent the rest of the evening enjoying their tea and just relaxing in each other's company.

After a few hours had passed, the grandmother who had been lightly dozing in her chair stirred. Tsubame and Kaoru, who had both been lost in thought while staring at the flames, also shifted back to consciousness. Getting up and stretching the elder turned towards the two younger ladies. "Oh how time flies when in good company. But now these tired old bones are insisting that I head out to bed and I'm sure both of you are ready to do the same. Now Tsubame dear I think I will retire back in to our room but why don't you make your sleeping arrangements out here and keep Kaoru-san company for the night. Good night Kaoru-san, till the morrow then." Kaoru got up and bowed slightly to the elder as she headed through the other doorway to the bedroom in the back.

Tsubame in the meantime had made her way over to a trunk located at the far end of the sitting room. She began pulling out two spare futons pillows and blankets. She lined one of the futons on one side of the room and set up the other one across from it against the other wall of the sitting room. Making her way over to the futon closest to her, Kaoru set her pack and cloak down near where her head would be. The scabbard though, she lay down parallel to the futon within easy reach, as had become her habit over the years. Tsubame had disappeared in to the bed room and now came out changed into a light night shift ready for bed.

Kaoru settled into her futon lying onto her back and pulling the blanket up to her chin, but left her right arm out for quick access to the scabbard at her side. Across the room she could hear Tsubame settling into her own futon. Turning her head she could see Tsubame settled under her own blanket with her back to Kaoru. "Good night Tsubame-chan and sweet dreams," Kaoru murmured softly across the room. A few minutes passed where Kaoru thought maybe Tsubame hadn't heard her or had fallen asleep before a reply came back: "Good night Kaoru-san, kami-sama bless." With the light crackle of the fire in their ears both young women eventually drifted off into sleep.

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><p><strong>Please read, review, and comment! <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

AN- Hello hello! So the next chapter is finally up! Thank you to everyone who commented and subscribed! Hope you enjoy and as always please read and review :)

**Sumiregusa**- Thank you soooo much for being my first ever review! And thanks so much for the comment, I think I did get carried away with the word "child", I would like to blame it on my over excitement of finally being able to post my first story, *grins sheepishly* but I did take that into account in this chapter, and I was careful to avoid excessive over use of the word hehe. Kaoru's speech pattern is a result of her own experiences, including her past. I dont know if I would necessarily say its a spin off of Kenshin's speech, but maybe I did it unconsciously? I guess we'll see how it plays out in future chapters :) PS- Im hooked to Shattered! I was so excited to see the recent update! Keep it coming :D

**Kaisuikage- **Thank you sooo much for the review! Seeing it kept me motivated to churn out this chapter! Kenshin will be popping up soon no worries on that ;) Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer- I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. It is the sole property of Nobuhiro Watsuki.

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Kaoru was abruptly awoken from her light slumber, her hand automatically reaching for her scabbard as her eyes raced around trying to get her bearings. Sitting up quietly she glanced around the room and tried to place what had awakened her. The fire had burned down to embers and cast a very muted light around the sitting room. Lying quietly Kaoru listened for the noise that had woken her. There was silence for a few more minutes before she heard it again. There was a soft noise like a strangled sob coming from across the room. Looking over to Tsubame's futon she could see that the child seemed to be quivering as her blanket was moving slightly. Making her way over quietly to Tsubame's side, her heart contracted slightly to see Tsubame's state. The teen was curled into a tight ball, hands clenched, and was drenched in sweat. Tears where making tracks down her cheeks and occasionally a strangled sob seemed to force its way out of her throat.

Leaning down closer to her, Kaoru could make out soft words that Tsubame was saying. "No please, I won't do it again, please I will do what you say. Please no." It seemed to be a constant mantra the girl was murmuring in her sleep. Rage gripped Kaoru as she realized Tsubame was fighting nightmares of what the bandits has done to her. Leaning over and placing herself close to Tsubame's ear, Kaoru murmured lightly, soothing noises and phrases letting Tsubame know she was safe and that she would not let anything happen to her. Eventually Tsubame calmed, relaxing her hands and uncurling from her tight ball. Her breathing evened out and she fell into a more peaceful sleep.

Kaoru returned to her futon, and settled back in but lay awake for some time. She watched the flickering shadows on the ceiling cast by the embers and thought about how many more children and helpless people dealt with trauma similar to Tsubame's. She remembered back to her younger days, where her father's words echoed strongly in her heart and mind.

"Kao-chan, you were blessed with the talent and gift to be able to learn the sword lore and have the ability to defend yourself. But Kao-chan the sword was built for more than just defending yourself or picking useless fights with others. It was made to protect. Protect those who do not have the means to do so themselves. And you Kao-chan have been blessed with the insight and the nature that you want to protect others and others will be drawn to you for it and for your kindness. Never forget that Kao-chan. Always use your sword to protect, never to kill in vain."

Turning over on to her side, Kaoru looked across to Tsubame's futon. Tsubame had rolled over, her countenance now relaxed and peaceful in sleep. It seemed what her father had said was true. Even though Tsubame had just met Kaoru, she had taken an instinctive hold on Kaoru's voice even through her nightmares. She had followed Kaoru's voice out of her nightmares, and believed, even while asleep, that Kaoru would protect her. Kaoru just hoped she would be able to live up to her father's and now Tsubame's expectations to protect. After sometime of just watching Tsubame's peaceful face, sleep finally reclaimed Kaoru.

The next time Kaoru woke, dawn had finally broken and the early morning rays were shining through the windows and striking Kaoru's face. Shifting over onto her back, Kaoru yawned and stretched. Sitting up with the blanket pooling into her lap, Kaoru blinked sleepily and stared at the wall in front of her. Kaoru had a niggling sense of strange dreams which had plagued her after she had fallen back asleep but when she tried to recall what the dreams had been about she couldn't grasp them. Feeling the last vestiges of the dream leave her, Kaoru rubbed her face hard to chase away the last remnants of sleep and then stood.

She had just finished folding her futon and blanket and was leaning them up against the wall, when she heard faint sounds coming from the back of the house. A glance over at Tsubame's futon showed the girl still fast asleep. Leaving her pack and cloak where they were, Kaoru took a minute to strap the scabbard back on before she went to investigate what the noises were. Walking through the kitchen all the way to the back of the house, the faint sounds she had been hearing before became clearer.

Spotting a door leading outside, Kaoru hesitated a moment before cracking open the door a few centimeters to listen. Recognizing what it was, Kaoru relaxed before sliding open the door further and stepping out. The elder it seemed was also an early riser, and was out in the small herb garden behind the house. While she walked through the garden, she was singing softly to herself and that was what Kaoru had heard. Kaoru cleared her throat lightly so as not to startle the elder. The grandmother, who had been bent over examining a plant, straightened up and smiled at Kaoru.

"Ahhh good-morning Kaoru-san. I hope you had a good night sleep." Kaoru walked over to the elder and bowed while replying, "Hai obaa-san, it was actually very restful. I wanted to thank you again for all of your hospitality to me." The elder reached over and patted Kaoru on the cheek, "Ahh how sweet you are! It was my pleasure. It always makes my heart happy to see such wonderful young ones such as you and Tsubame." Kaoru knelt and examined the plant nearest her, "This is sage growing here isn't? And that over there by your foot looks to be mint leaves." The elder made a noise of agreement and surprise, "Very good child. You seemed to be well versed in recognizing your plants. Do you know what these herbs might be used for?"

Picking a sprig of sage near her, Kaoru inhaled the crisp smells thinking a bit before she replied, "Sage is often used to help calm the restless and agitated. It is also often given in broths to help fight infections. I have also heard of women using it to dry up their milk while suckling to help prevent discomfort." Leaning across the elder, Kaoru grasped some mint before saying, "Mint is often used to deal with discomfort of the stomach and digestion. Many women also use it to help control the pangs of their women's cycles every month."

"Splendid child! You are also well versed in your herb lore. How have you come to pick up such extensive knowledge on the healing benefits of plants?" Kaoru, who was still kneeling by the plants, picked a twig of mint sniffing the sweet aroma. "Part of my education growing up included daily lessons in the garden where I was taught on so many different herbs growing there. My father had a strong belief in herbs and their healing properties. He always said that Kami had left us so many gifts everywhere and that we had to always try to find and appreciate them for what they were. He always taught me that Kami made everything with a purpose and a right in its own place and that it was our job to make sure to honor that and to understand as much as we could what those might be." The smell of the fresh mint twig in her hand took Kaoru back to days of her childhood of roaming through the garden perched on her father's shoulders while he picked the herbs, handing them to Kaoru while he explained what the herbs were for.

"Your father sounds like a very wise man." The elder's quite voice broke through Kaoru's haze of memory. Smiling down fondly at the mint, Kaoru responded, "Hai he was one of the most wise and knowledgeable people that I knew. I hope to gain even half of the knowledge and wisdom that he had." Noting that Kaoru talked of her father in past tense but seeing the look of longing and pain in her eyes the elder wisely kept silent on the matter. Standing up, Kaoru brushed off her knees before handing the sage and mint she had picked over to the elder. Taking the leaves from Kaoru, the elder turned them over a few times before handing them back to Kaoru and grasping her wrist. "Would you like me to show you what else I have growing here Kaoru-san? I would love to hear what else you know about these herbs."

Kaoru and the elder spent the next two hours wandering through the herb garden. They examined many different herbs growing around the garden, with the elder quizzing Kaoru on what she knew of the herbs. Kaoru gained a lot of new incite from the elder on the herbs and she picked up a lot of new information about some plants she had never encountered before. By the time they finished, the sun had risen fully and had burned off the early morning fog that had lingered when Kaoru and the elder had first set out in the garden. "Oh Kaoru-san look at the time! You haven't even eaten yet. You poor thing must be so famished. Let's head inside and see what we can throw together to eat."

Right at that moment, Kaoru's stomach rumbled and she grinned at the elder. "Actually food sounds wonderful. I was also thinking to ask you if there is a small market that I may purchase some wares before I head back out onto my travels." The grandmother nodded, "Of course Kaoru-san, right after we eat I'll have Tsubame accompany you down to the market before you head out." They made their way back inside the house, occasionally discussing some of the herbs that they had found.

Walking into the kitchen, they were both surprised to see Tsubame up and bustling quietly about the kitchen. On the stove she had a pan of eggs cooking, and the smell coming from the small oven told Kaoru that fresh rolls were baking. Tsubame hovered over the pan of eggs and occasionally stirred a pot of what looked to be some sort of thick soup also bubbling on the small stove. Inhaling the wonderful smells wafting throughout the kitchen, Kaoru's stomach gave a particularly loud rumble. Tsubame jumped slightly at that and turned to look at the two still standing by the door. The elder chuckled and Kaoru patted her stomach before walking over to Tsubame, "Tsubame-chan my stomach is very eager to try the wonderful breakfast you have going here!" Tsubame blushed lightly, but Kaoru was pleased to hear her giggle at Kaoru's small joke.

The elder came over to stand by the stove and placed a hand on top of Tsubame's head. "Thank you Tsubame-chan for starting breakfast for us. Now why don't you and Kaoru-san set the table and Ill finish up in here." Tsubame nodded in agreement before heading over to a small cupboard leaning against the side of the kitchen. Opening the doors revealed a small stack of plates, cups, and other utensils that they would need. Grabbing a stack of plates, Tsubame turned before handing them shyly to Kaoru before softly murmuring, "Kaoru-san would you mind carrying these to the table? I'm going to grab some bowls and cups."

Taking the stack of plates from Tsubame, Kaoru headed over into the dining area. She couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be a slight warmth in Tsubame's eyes this morning that hadn't been there yesterday. She wondered what might have brought about the change. Absently she set out the plates, while Tsubame arrived with the rest of the utensils. Not too long after all three were seated at the table with the steaming food piled high in their plates. As they ate, Kaoru continually noticed that Tsubame was glancing at her more often and that there was indeed a warm spark in her eyes. Deciding that maybe Tsubame had just become more comfortable with her over the day, Kaoru tucked into the delicious meal.

After they had eaten and cleaned up the table and leftovers, the elder addressed Kaoru, "Kaoru-san you had said you would like to head out to the market. Now because our village is so small we don't really have a market of our own, but the neighboring villages and our own have all combined our wares. We have set up a small market place halfway between all the villages near here. It is about an hour's walk from here." She turned to Tsubame then and said, "Tsubame-chan I would like for you to take Kaoru-san to the market and help her find anything she might need. I've also a list of a few things that was needed around here and was thinking that now would be the perfect time for you to pick those up as well."

The grandmother got up and walked to a small chest of drawers in the sitting room, sliding open the top drawer and pulling out a slip of paper and a small bag that clinked faintly. "Here you go Tsubame-chan this is the list of the things that was needed around here and here is the coins for purchasing them. Also child I would like for you to buy a little something for yourself, whatever you would like." Tsubame, who had just grasped the bag of coins, stuttered and started to protest. "But obaa-san I couldn't…" "Now child, you have been here with me long enough and have helped me with so much that I must insist on it. Please Tsubame-chan do it to humor this old lady. It would make my heart so happy for you to have something new for yourself."

With big, moist eyes, Tsubame leaned over and embraced the elder who lovingly smoothed her hair. "You're welcome child. Now hurry and grab your sack and head out. You don't want to keep our guest waiting any longer." Tsubame turned and disappeared into the bedroom at the back of the house, before reappearing and slinging a small sack over her shoulder. Kaoru waited patiently for her to take the lead as they stepped out of the door but was pleasantly surprised when Tsubame grasped her hand and tugged her along with her. Kaoru turned and waved to the elder, "Thank you so much obaa-san I will have Tsubame back shortly!" The elder smiled and waved back watching them disappear down the village road towards a gate off to their right.

Once they had stepped out onto the dirt road just outside of the village, Tsubame let go of Kaoru's hand but walked by her side as they traveled down the road. The first fifteen minutes of their walk was in companionable silence as Kaoru recounted what she would need to buy and Tsubame watched their surroundings. A soft whisper snapped Kaoru out of her musing, "Sorry, did you just say something Tsubame-chan?" She glanced down at the teen walking next to her, noting the intense way she watched her surroundings.

"I..I..I heard your voice last night, Kaoru-san." Kaoru froze in her tracks before uttering an intelligent, "Hunh?" "Last night Kaoru-san, during my nightmares, I heard your voice. You called me back from the horrible things that were going on there. I was able to actually fight off the nightmares last night for the first time since they started after hearing your voice." At this point Tsubame, who had continued walking while Kaoru had frozen, turned around and looked at Kaoru. "I believed you Kaoru-san when you said you would protect me and that I was safe. You saved me from the nightmares."

Kaoru studied the intense look on Tsubame's face, the utter belief she saw indicating that Tsubame had really used Kaoru voice as an anchor. Taking the few steps separating them, Kaoru stopped in front of Tsubame and gently grasped her shoulders. "Tsubame-chan, yes it was my voice who may have guided you a bit last night, but it was you, your own strength and will that pushed those nightmares away. It was your own power that fought the demons in your dreams."

Looking down into Tsubame's face, Kaoru saw how wide her eyes were and that Tsubame was shaking her head vigorously. "No Kaoru-san! I'm not strong at all! It wasn't me I'm sure of it. I know it was you who fought the nightmares. It was all because of you!" Seeing how vehement Tsubame was in her argument, Kaoru sighed and dropped her hands. She could see that no matter what she said to her, Tsubame would not believe that it was her own strength that had fought off the nightmares.

"Ok, Tsubame-chan. Let's continue on we still have a way to go yet don't we?" Turning back towards the winding road, they both trekked off again towards their destination. The rest of the journey was a quite one, with little talk from either of them. After another half hour of walking, they could finally make out the cluster of huts marking the market place as they topped a small hill. Both of them stepped up their pace, eager to have finally reached their destination.

****

As they stepped through the gates, the sights and smells of a bustling market hit them. Kaoru breathed deeply and a smile tugged the corners of her mouth. It had been nearly a month since the last time she had been able to visit a market place. The market place turned out surprisingly large, but then Kaoru guessed that there must have been several villages who had come together to form the market, not to mention passing merchants who must also set up among the locals. Turning to Tsubame, Kaoru noticed how close the girl had moved to Kaoru and the anxious way she now surveyed the mass of people moving between stalls. Reaching down and grasping Tsubame's hands firmly Kaoru started forward, kindly saying to the girl, "Come on Tsubame-chan the sooner we get in the sooner we can get out."

They wove their way through the crowd, with Kaoru navigating and Tsubame sticking very close to Kaoru's side. Stopping at a stall which looked like it might carry some flint and steel, Kaoru began haggling for the wares. Moving between stalls, Kaoru soon had a small stack tucked under her arms containing an assortment of items, including the earlier flint and steel, a new gourd for storing water, a polishing stone and cloth for her weapon, and some first aid items that she could store in her pack. Mentally running through her list again Kaoru decided to try and find a stall selling some hakama and gi that she could keep as a spare.

Making sure Tsubame was still keeping up with her, Kaoru headed further into the market saying over her shoulder, "Tsubame-chan why don't you pull out the list obaa-san gave you so we can start purchasing items for her as well." Seeing that she was grasping the list firmly in hand, Kaoru pulled into a small space found between two stalls so they could go over the list and decide where to head next. "Ok Tsubame-chan where should we head first?" Scanning down the list and making mental note of the items, they both headed back out into the crowd.

Coming to a section of the market which sold clothing, Kaoru decided this was a good place to make their next stop. "Ok Tsubame-chan, I need to get some spare hakama and gi and I think the list said that obaa-san needed a new table cover. This place looks like it would have exactly what we need." Tsubame, who had been extra quite throughout their trips between stalls, just nodded and started walking when Kaoru did.

Stopping in front of a stall which was displaying some table covers, they both stopped and spent some time picking out a nice one to take back to the elder. The next stall over had a pleasant display of hakama and gi. As Kaoru began browsing through the selection they offered, Tsubame tugged on her hand and motioned her lower so she could say over the noise of the crowd, "Kaoru-san I see a stall with ribbons just over," here she pointed to a stall three down from where they were, "I can head over there and pick something out while you finish up here so we can save some time." Looking down into Tsubame's eyes which were sparkling with the prospect of picking out a new ribbon, Kaoru readily agreed and they decided that she would meet Tsubame over at her stall.

Watching Tsubame make her way safely over to the ribbon stall, Kaoru turned back to the gi in front of her, and her debate of the dark blue gi or the forest green one. After some debating she decided that she liked the dark blue one better so she asked the vendor to set that one aside and turned to the section of the stall housing different styles of pants. She amused herself for some time by examining the different styles she saw laid out before her, before finally turning toward the pile of hakama pants located on the side of the stall. At the end of the day hakama were what suited Kaoru's taste the best. Rummaging through the pile Kaoru pulled out a pair of black hakama that she decided would work well with the blue gi that she had also set aside.

She had just paid for her clothing and tucked them in with the rest of her items, when a sudden commotion caught her attention. Whirling around she could see that a small circle had begun to form not too far from where Tsubame had been standing in front of the ribbons. Knowing the girl's fear of to many people, Kaoru started pushing her way through the quickly growing crowd. Finally shouldering her way to the front she paused and started scanning to see if she saw Tsubame anywhere. What she did see nearly stopped her heart.

In the clearing where the crowd had gathered around was a small fruit stand with an elderly vendor behind it who has anxiously wringing his hands. A tall bull-like man stood in the middle of the clearing bellowing at the top of his lungs and pointing angrily at something in front of the stand. Scanning quickly Kaoru saw that in front of the stand was a small child collapsed in the dirt clutching an apple in his hand, and to her surprise, Tsubame was standing protectively in front of the child. Her arms were spread wide and she was staring defiantly at the angry man not batting an eye or backing down. The man took a menacing step forward, pointing at what looked like a stain on his pants and growled at Tsubame and the child. Lying at his feet was an overturned bottle of sake which he had no doubt been consuming.

Tsubame, instead of backing down, shifted her stance and planted her feet wide and shook her head, firmly indicating that she wasn't letting the man anywhere near the child. The man shouted in rage and raised his hand to swing down at Tsubame and knock her to the side. Tsubame refused to move and closed her eyes bracing for the blow. There was a whistle and then a thud. Tsubame flinched expecting the pain of the blow, and realized there was no pain.

Opening her eyes all she saw was the expanse of a brown gi and cream hakama. Scanning up to see a dark ponytail swinging down the back of the gi, Tsubame gasped when she realized what had happened. In front of her stood Kaoru, who had brought up the scabbard normally strapped to her waist, and had it firmly positioned just inside the man's arm blocking and holding his blow away from her body. Rearing back in pain, the man spat out angrily, "Wench what is the meaning of this? Don't you dare get in my way! I will punish that street rat for what he's done and that stupid girl for standing in my way!"

Kaoru didn't move, other than to bring her scabbard down to rest by her right hip, and causally adjusting her stance a little more in front of Tsubame and the child. "Now sir if you could tell me what happened here, maybe we could solve this without anyone getting hurt." At this the man just scoffed and then gestured wildly to the stain on his pants. "That street scum dared bump into me and spill sake on my valued garments. These are the finest pants my village has ever seen and he has ruined them! He's going to get the punishment he deserves!" Spittle flew in every direction as the man bent his head and got ready to charge at the Kaoru and the children.

Grasping her scabbard, right hand on the hilt and the left one slightly lower, Kaoru moved into a defensive stance sliding her right foot back and angling her body slightly toward the same side. Without taking her eyes off the enraged man Kaoru calmly spoke to Tsubame behind her. "Tsubame-chan I want you to take the little boy there and move off to the side and to safety. I don't want either of you getting caught up in this and getting hurt." Hearing Tsubame talking to the child and then tugging him back, Kaoru turned her full attention in front of her.

In the few seconds it had taken to talk to Tsubame and get them to move the man had closed quite a lot of distance in his gallop toward her. Waiting till he was just in range, Kaoru finally moved forward ducking just inside of the man's gallop and bringing her scabbard across his middle section. The man blew out a large breath of air as the scabbard hit home, doubling over and falling to his knees. Kaoru danced back a few steps before resuming her defensive stance again. The man was hunched over his middle, taking deep, wheezing gasps of air as he tried to catch his breath. After a few moments he staggered to his feet, one hand still clutched around his middle and pointed at Kaoru, "WENCH! You'll pay for that. After I'm done with you I'm going to give those kids double the pain!"

Wiping the spittle running down his face with the back of his hand, he rushed forward taking a wild swing at Kaoru's face. Kaoru dodged the blow, moving to the outside of his swing to avoid the punch coming in from the other side. Whipping her scabbard up and across her front, she brought it down quickly so it snapped across the back of the man's swinging arms. Roaring in pain, the man furiously shook his arms, no doubt feeling the effects of the nerve numbness as an after-shock of Kaoru's blow. She stepped just over to the side of the man so he would be able to see her in his periphery before speaking to him, "I suggest you stop now sir, before there is any lasting damage. Even now your arms may take up to a few days to regain their feeling."

The crowd, which had been screaming in excitement, now fell into a surprised hush, the thought of such a small woman taking out the bull-sized man stopping any taunts they had been throwing at Kaoru. The bull-man, who had been feeding off of the energy of the crowd, froze and glanced around in the sudden hush. "HA!" he spat at Kaoru, "You can't evade me forever wench, and when I get my hands on you I'm going to crack your worthless spine over the back of my knee!" He began rushing at Kaoru, his arms hanging uselessly at his sides, using his momentum to try and ram into her with his head instead. The crowd picked up on this and began their shouting again, some urging the bull-man on while others shouted at Kaoru to step back and back out before she got hurt.

The man began hurling insults at Kaoru, insulting her integrity and her family anything to get under her skin. Kaoru just ignored him, letting his insults wash off of her like water off of a rock. She continued dodging the man unwilling to hurt him any more than she already had. The man was slowly becoming more and more frantic as none of his blows were landing. He started scanning around him trying to find something that he could use to finally land a blow. As he scanned his eyes fell on Tsubame and the small boy who were huddled against a wall, near the fruit vendor. He smirked and started a blind rush at the children, intending to use them against Kaoru.

Seeing that the man had suddenly shifted his charge, it took Kaoru a moment to figure out what he was intending. Looking down the line of his charge her eyes landed on Tsubame who had thrown herself on top of the little boy and was sheltering him against the oncoming assault. Kaoru acted fast, sprinting straight on towards the man's back. Taking a flying leap when she was close enough, she brought her scabbard straight across the back of his neck before using her momentum to flip over in the air and land right in front of the children. This all happened in the matter of seconds almost too fast for the eye to follow. The man was frozen in his headlong rush, eyes bulging and tongue protruding out. There was a pause for a few seconds, then his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed, knocked completely unconscious.

Kaoru glanced up at the crowd, blue eyes darkened and hard, glinting in anger, before calling out, "Someone who knows this fool can take him home now. Tell him when he wakes that harming the innocent will never result in anything but pain for him." A thin sallow-faced man timidly stepped forward, probably the bull-man's lackey. He bowed in apology before grasping the man by one giant arm and dragging him away. The crowd parted for him before shifting again and swallowing them from view. After realizing that there was nothing left to see, they slowly started dispersing heading back to purchasing their wares.

Kaoru strapped her sheath back on to her hip and turned. Tsubame and the young boy were now being fussed over by the elderly fruit vendor. From what Kaoru could see, Tsubame was staring at the vendor with wide doe eyes, hands clasped in front of her and the child was animatedly talking to the vendor. Walking over, the first thing Kaoru did was check both teen and child for any injuries. As soon as she was done, Tsubame had grasped Kaoru's gi and was burying her face into Kaoru's shoulder. Surprised at the sudden change in Tsubame, Kaoru took a moment and stroked her hair, feeling her slight trembling body and stifled sobs.

Still holding onto Tsubame, Kaoru turned to the young child and the vendor. "Ok now that the fiasco is over with, could I please get the full story of what happened and how that man became so enraged?" The young child was eagerly hopping from foot to foot, eyes shining at Kaoru with admiration. "You were totally awesome! You took out that guy without even getting a scratch. And you moved so fast around him I couldn't even see you! You must be an awesome swordsman errr swords woman!" The child was still clutching his apple in his hands but was now so busy ranting about how amazing Kaoru was he seemed to forget what started the whole situation in the first place.

Giving a soft sigh, Kaoru turned to the elderly vendor with imploring eyes to see if he would tell her what happened. The vendor tapped the boy lightly on his head to stop his enraptured babbling and said, "Well this lad here had stopped by my stall to buy some fruit. I have just gotten in a fresh shipment of apples see and he was just purchasing some out for himself. So eager was the lad to get the apples that he tripped over one of the crates in front of the stall. Next thing you know he was bumping into that man out in the crowd and the sake got spilled down his cloths. And well that's what set him off. The man was completely out of his mind with anger and was just about to punish the lad when this young girl here rushed forward to protect the lad. If you miss," Here he nodded to Kaoru, "hadn't stepped in when you did those kids would be having some trouble walking away with the way that man was charging up to go at em."

The vendor's story confirmed for Kaoru that neither Tsubame nor the young boy had been in the wrong. Nodding her head in thanks to the vendor who bustled back to his stall, she turned to the boy. She dis-entangled herself from a now semi-calm Tsubame, who reluctantly let go but stayed very close to Kaoru's shoulder. Kaoru knelt down to the boy's eye level and patted his shoulder, "I'm glad to see you're not hurt. However, try to be careful of people like the bull-man. They are just bullies who don't understand that accidents happen. Sometimes they don't need an excuse to try to come after someone who they think is smaller or weaker than them. Try to keep an eye out for them and keep yourself and your friends away from people like that, ok? Now make sure you head straight home from here and stay out of trouble."

The little boy nodded in acceptance readily then turned to Tsubame who was standing just behind Kaoru. Stepping around Kaoru, the boy clasped Tsubame tightly around the waist and whispered, "Thank you, nee-chan, for protecting me. That bull man was very scary." Tsubame looked down at the top of the boys head and smiled. Letting go of Tsubame's waist, the boy backed up a bit and seeing Tsubame's smile colored bright red before rushing out behind them into the crowd. Before he disappeared, he turned back to both of them and bowed again in thanks before blending in with the crowd.

Standing and brushing off her knees, Kaoru turned to Tsubame, "Well now that the fun is all over, I'm feeling mighty hungry. Let's try to find a place to eat shall we?" Tsubame murmured a soft, "Hai," then moved forward to grasp Kaoru's gi in her hands before they moved out into the crowd. Kaoru paused a minute to stare at the girl. She couldn't reconcile this shy timid thing to the girl who had thrown herself in front of an angry, drunk, 6 foot something tall man, to protect a little boy. Deciding that she would definitely bring it up with her at lunch, she hefted her packages that she had dropped in her rush over to the children and moved out into the lunch rush.

****

Unknown to either of them, two shadows detached themselves from the wall of a small alley directly across from where they were. The smaller shadow stepped out of the alleyway and turned to its companion. "I guess that we've finally found her, eh?" He had his hands folded into his gray gi over which he was wearing a blue open vest and brown hakama. His hair was tied up into a very high ponytail and stood up in spiked ends. His wide eyes, with slit like red pupils darted between his companion and the passing crowd.

"Ah," was the quite reply from his considerably taller partner. Stepping out from the shadows, anyone who might have noticed him in the alley would find his attire quite strange and very out of place. He wore what looked to be a dark blue jumpsuit, the top of which almost looked like a loose vest with narrow fitted pants. Underneath the top was a tight shirt which had black and red horizontal stripes running all the way down to the wrists. His most striking feature was that on his face he wore a peculiar white mask, which had strange horns sticking out from the top and sharp pointed teeth. Dark blue gloves adorned his hands.

His eyes followed the two girls as they moved further and further away from them into the crowd. "We need to inform Aoshi-sama right away. But it doesn't seem as if the other we are looking for is with her." His shorter companion nodded in agreement. "Let's move out and send the message right away. Regardless Aoshi-sama will be pleased to hear any news at all." "Ah," was once again the quite reply. Both stepped out into the crowd and seemed to blend right in. Even with their strange attire, no one from the crowd even gave them a second glance. A few moments later from the far end of the market, a small hawk shot out into the sky a letter tied firmly to one of its legs.

After gaining air, the hawk banked for a minute then aimed due south, a streak of brown against the hazy blue of the sky. The small man, who was now alone, watched the hawk's progress for a few minutes before heading back out into the market. He had to rejoin his taller companion, who had gone after the girl. Their leader would have his information soon. Now all they had to do was to continue following the girl and await further orders.

Several days travel later, the hawk had reached its destination. Giving a screeching cry, it swooped down towards the two figures who were steadily eating ground with their fast pace. Hearing the screech, one of the travelers stopped, arm extended for the hawk to land. After extracting the letter, he read over the contents, face impassive and eyes calm. Turning to his smaller companion he simply said, "They've found her." A deep hood hid the shorter man's face, but from within the depths gold eyes gleamed. Finally their long search had come to an end.

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><p>Ahhh so the plot thickens...and new characters are showing up...I wonder who they could be hehe ;P Guess well have to wait and see till next chapter!<p>

**PLEASE READ, REVIEW, AND COMMENT!**


	3. Chapter 3

Hi all! First and foremost I want to apologize for the extreme delay on this chapter. The holiday break was very hectic and left me with little to no time to write. Things are much calmer now, so hopefully updates will go back to a more timely schedule.

Second I want to thank everyone who took out the time to review:

J Luc Pitard- Thank you so much for the hints and tips. They are very much appreciated, and I will definitely be going back and making edits to previous chapters some time in the future and your tips will be a wonderful help. :)

Sirenmergirl- Thank you so much for the comment!

I also want to thank everyone who alerted and subscribed to my story! You guys are awesome ^_^

On with the show!

Disclaimer- I do not own Rurouni Kenshin...nope not I!

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Kaoru sighed gratefully as the small village finally came into view. They had been walking for close to an hour now although it felt much longer. The day was only just reaching mid to late afternoon but already Kaoru felt tired. They had left the market after a hasty lunch and quick run through the market to finish off buying the items left on list that the elder had given them. After they had moved away from the area where all the clothing were sold in the market, Kaoru had been quick to find a small stall that sold simple soups and noodles that she and Tsubame could consume quickly. After they had perched themselves on small stools lining the small counter running around the food stall, Kaoru had turned to Tsubame wanting to get her take on the event that had occurred earlier.

The girl had been a ghost, clutching Kaoru's gi, pale and moving silently alongside of her as they went about the market. Even now she sat on the stool, tearing up a napkin placed in front of her. Her hands slightly shook as she did so, and Kaoru knew that the fight earlier had shaken her up some. It was amazing to Kaoru that it had really been Tsubame that had tried to protect the little boy. Now after it was all over, Kaoru questioned her eyesight and sanity, unable to match that girl to the one sitting here now.

"Tsubame-chan…" She began, to which Tsubame flinched and dropped her now shredded napkin. Turning big doe eyes to look at Kaoru, Tsubame waited for what Kaoru would say next. Kaoru sighed before continuing on, "What you did back there for that little boy was very brave. It was dangerous but none the less I'm proud of you for stepping up and protecting him like that. But what I can't help but wonder, Tsubame-chan, is what would make you do something like that? From what I've seen you don't do well with people or confrontation. I don't see you throwing yourself in the direct path of danger. It is something I would think you try to avoid un-questionably."

Tsubame took a moment to gather herself before replying. "I..I honestly don't know how to explain it to you Kaoru-san. It was just…it was…" Here she paused again, ducking her head, then she steeled herself and turned completely to talk to Kaoru face on. "Kaoru-san, I'm sure you've heard some from obaa-san, what happened to me with the…the bandits. After the villagers rescued me, and with obaa-san's help, I've gotten much better. But ever since what those bandits did to me…" she shuddered before continuing on, "I've lived my life in constant fear. It was the worst feeling to be trapped and not have any means to protect myself, to be so hopeless and helpless. But after I met you and saw how strong you are, and then after you helped fight my nightmares for me…I guess something inside of me wanted to change. Seeing that little boy who had no means to protect himself, it struck something inside of me, brought back so many memories of how helpless I was with no one to help me and I just acted without thinking. I couldn't see him get hurt not when I thought maybe I could do something to help him. I'm so tired of being weak…" This last part was a whisper, her determination draining out of her.

Kaoru listened patiently, knowing that if she said anything now it would just break her resolve. Now as Tsubame finished, she placed a warm hand on her head and smiled kindly at the girl. "Tsubame-chan, what you did for that little boy today is the farthest thing from weak I have ever seen. To put someone else's safety before your own, speaks of courage to me that even some of the strongest fighters I have met have trouble with. I mean I didn't see anyone else in that crowd stepping in to fight the bull-man, but you did Tsubame. You were brave enough, strong enough to realize that little boy needed you. That type of bravery, courage and understanding is priceless. I'm so very proud of you to be able to step up in such a situation and stand for something you believe in." Tsubame gazed at Kaoru, eyes misty, and a smile began spreading over her face. She had never been praised before and never had been called brave or strong. The fact that such a strong person like Kaoru was the one saying the praise was almost too much for Tsubame.

The moment was broken between the two, when their orders of steaming noodles were placed in front of them. They both turned to their bowls, Tsubame discreetly wiping her wet eyes. They both then tucked into the steaming noodles, finishing them off in record time, before they headed out again to finish off their shopping. The rest of the day was a speedy affair, as they both wanted to return back to the village as soon as possible. Now the village loomed just in front of them. Kaoru eagerly stepped forward, wanting to pick up the pace, but was stopped by a small hand grasping her arm. Turning to look at Tsubame, she waited for the girl to speak impatient at having been stopped from reaching their destination faster.

"Kaoru-san... I've been thinking, since I've met you, something inside of me has changed. I was never comfortable with people, but with you somehow it is so natural for me to be comfortable. You bring out strength in me where I thought I had none. I have been thinking about this since yesterday, but I finally have hope again. I want to be strong. I want to be able to protect the helpless like you do. Kaoru-san I want to travel with you. I want to learn from you and become stronger. I want to be able to help people. Please take me with you!" Tsubame met Kaoru's eyes straight on, determination and pleading filled in them.

Kaoru was frozen, completely shocked at the request that Tsubame was making. She had noticed that Tsubame had become increasingly more and more comfortable with her over the day, but she never guessed it was to this extent. Her initial response was to say no, that her travels where just too dangerous for the young girl to join her. Tsubame seemed to sense that her refusal, and instead of backing down, gripped Kaoru's wrist with both hands. Her face was set, eyes gleaming and hopeful, and suddenly Kaoru's found her refusal dying on her lips. Her father had always taught her that she needed to protect the helpless. The Kamiya kasshin ryu was the sword style that was to protect. Could Kaoru really turn down someone who so strongly wanted to learn to protect?

Instantly the answer was there. No, Kaoru couldn't say no to Tsubame. While Kaoru used to live at the dojo with her father, they had never turned down a student who had wanted to learn Kamiya kasshin. Now seeing another person who so desperately wanted to learn how to protect others, Kaoru could not turn her away. Taking Tsubame's hand, Kaoru made sure that she had her complete attention before talking to her.

"Ok Tsubame, here is the situation. The way I travel, it isn't a very comfortable way of life. I spend most of my nights sleeping by the road side and the days are spent wandering. I don't have a set schedule of how I do things, it's more like I do them as they come. However, I do have a very strict schedule of training. That is something that I do not compromise on nor do I falter on. If you want to come with me, you have to be ready and willing to accept all of these things. The Kamiya-kasshin-ryu isn't a joke, and it often requires double or triple the amount of training than do other sword techniques. Is this something that you know that you can commit to?"

Kaoru made sure that she held complete eye contact with Tsubame so that she could see if there was any regret to her decision. Tsubame did not show any hesitation only strong determination. "Hai, Kaoru-san. I will not hesitate. I know in my heart that this is what I need to do." With a nod, Kaoru and Tsubame shook on their new pact. "Ok, let's get back quickly then. We need to let obaa-san know, and you need to pack so we can head out." They both turned back to the road, both a renewed vigor in their step. Secretly, Kaoru was happy to have a companion on the road. Many nights had been very lonely.

They entered the village and quickly made their way to the elder's small home. Tsubame led Kaoru through the front door, which she explained to her stayed unlocked during the day. It turned out that the elder's small herb garden was actually well known in the village for having very potent effects, and many villagers visited throughout all hours of the day. Tsubame separated from Kaoru in the small living room, with the hurried explanation that she needed to get to packing and then disappeared in to the bedroom.

Kaoru smiled to herself at the girl's eagerness, and turned to her own items. She needed to arrange her own wares evenly throughout her pack and cloak so she was comfortable during travel. After having been on the road for nearly two years, Kaoru was an expert on how to distribute her items evenly and comfortably. Within half an hour all of her stuff was packed and ready to go. From the bedroom she could still hear sounds of Tsubame shuffling around and packing things, so Kaoru decided she would look for the elder and let her know of their plans to head out within a few hours.

A quick run through of the house, and the elder wasn't to be found. Figuring she might be out in the garden, Kaoru made her way to the back of the house. Sure enough the elder was in one of the corners of the garden, a broad hat perched on her head to protect her from the sun. She wore light cloth gloves on her hands, and held a pair of shears with which she was pruning the plants. As Kaoru drew closer, she called out a greeting so as not to startle the elder, who turned with a smile.

"Ah, Kaoru-san, you have returned fairly quickly from the market. I wasn't expecting you back until later in the afternoon."

"Oh yes, actually we were able to get our purchases very fast. The market had everything we were looking for so it didn't take too long. We also have the items that you asked for… I just wasn't sure what to do with them."

"Thank you child. You've done me a great service. It has gotten harder for me throughout the years to make the trip over to the market, so I've taken to relying on some of the youngers of the village to do my shopping when they make their trips. But they weren't due to go for another two weeks, and I was desperately in need of these things. Why don't we head inside and take a look?"

The elder pulled off her dusty gloves, and snapped the shears closed, before tucking both items under her left arm. She then bent over to pick up a few bundles of greens which Kaoru hadn't noticed lying at her feet. Apparently the elder had been clipping the herbs to either hand out or work into pastes for later use. Bending down to help her, Kaoru shouldered four or five of the bundles, while the elder picked up the rest. Once inside the house, they placed the bundles on the small table, and walked into the living room. Kaoru grabbed a few packages lying near her packed gear, and turned to hand them to the elder.

Aged eyes swept over the packed gear, and knowing what that meant, the elder turned to take the packages from Kaoru, saying at the same time,

"Thank you so much again Kaoru-san. These will be put into good use. Now if you would wait here just a moment, I have something I wanted to give you before you do head out."

The elder disappeared back into the kitchen. While she was in the kitchen, Kaoru went into the bedroom to call out Tsubame. After thinking it over some while she was packing, Kaoru decided that it might be best to let Tsubame tell the elder that she was leaving with her. She knew they had a wonderfully close relationship, and it would be a conversation that was best left to the two. Finding Tsubame buried in some trunks at the back of the room, Kaoru tapped her on the shoulder, knowing the girl hadn't heard her enter.

"Tsubame-chan?" When the girl re-emerged from the trunk, Kaoru ran her idea by her, "Obaa-san has just stepped into the kitchen for a moment to grab some things. I was thinking that maybe it would be best if you told her yourself that you want to join my journey. After everything you two have been through together it would be the right way to let her know."

Tsubame nodded in agreement, "You are right, Kaoru-san! I should let her know and as soon as possible so we may head out quickly to."

They both walked back into the living room and Tsubame headed back into the kitchen. Kaoru settled down near her pack, back resting against the wall and began the task of polishing her sword. She figured the two in the kitchen would need some time. She pulled the blade carefully out of the scabbard and then laid it across her lap. She studied the blade a few moments, running gentle fingers up and down its length.

It was an interesting sword to look at, quite different from a normal one. The blade was slightly curved, the handle wrapped in dark cloth. The most notable thing about it was the make of the blade. The outer edge of the curve was dull while the inner curve was sharp and gleaming. It was a reverse-blade sword, also called the sakabato, and it wasn't meant for killing. The blade caught some of the sunlight streaming into the room and shone into Kaoru's eyes.

Momentarily blinded, memories flashed through Kaoru's mind. They were memories of bright red hair, and soft amethyst eyes; goofy grins, highlighted by a funny speech. Kaoru bowed her head, the memories pressing down on her. Those were memories of older days, when she had been falsely happy. She visibly shuddered, one hand going up to clutch near her heart. Pain clouded her eyes, and she bent over clutching her gi harder. No, she shouldn't think about those times. They had been nothing but a false allusion; she had been nothing but a foolish girl easily convinced and taken advantage of. Things had changed. Strengthening her spine, she forcibly pushed the memories away. No, that wasn't who she was anymore. She had left all of that behind long ago.

Picking up the sharpening stone lying near her leg, she began the task of tending the sakabato, using the methodic motion of her hand running up and down the length of the blade as meditation to once again clear her mind. She worked diligently making sure she missed no spots. Once that was done, she set about polishing the blade, making the sword look impeccable. Nearly an hour had passed, before she heard sounds of Tsubame and the elder walking back into the room.

Running the polishing stone one last time over the blade, she deftly sheathed it and set it aside. She had just placed the stone and cloth back into her pack when the two walked back into the room. Both looked rather subdued but resolved. Their eyes looked suspiciously red and swollen but Kaoru wisely held her silence.

Tsubame moved further into the room before she quietly addressed Kaoru, "I have just a little bit of packing left to do. It shouldn't take me much longer to finish." Without waiting for a response she hurried back into the bedroom. Kaoru didn't try to stop her, understanding she needed the few moments to gather herself. The elder quickly wiped her face with damp sleeves before approaching Kaoru.

"Kaoru-san, Tsubame has informed me of her decision to travel with you. I had a feeling that something like this might happen. As I told you the night before, I believe there is something you can offer the child, to help make her whole again. I send the child with you with my blessings." Here the elder bowed slightly to Kaoru, "Please take care of her. The child deserves to be able to live her life again."

Kaoru rushed over to the elder, grasping her shoulders, and straightening her up out of her bow. "Of course, obaa-san, Tsubame will be in the utmost care. I know how special she is, and I will do everything in my ability to protect her and help her find herself again."

"Thank you, child. My heart will rest easy knowing she is with you." Glancing down, the elder seemed to just realize that she had been clutching a bundle in her hands. Giving a watery chuckle she exclaimed, "Oh my look at me, I'm a mess! I completely forgot the reason I went into the kitchen in the first place. Here Kaoru-san, these are several different salves that I have prepared from the herbs in my garden. I can only imagine that traveling on the road can't be easy, and I know that these will come into good use for you. I've also put in a small notebook which details what salves can be used for what." She passed the bundle into Kaoru's hand, who stood by speechless by such a caring gesture. The elder bustled back to the table, and then returned bearing another bundle.

"This has several different dried herbs that can be steeped as teas for different ailments. I'm sure you must have knowledge on these already but they are also listed in the little notebook. It is not much, but I hope it can be of use to both you and Tsubame-chan."

Snapping out of her speechlessness, Kaoru spluttered, and rushed to reassure the elder of the wonderful gift. "Obaa-san this is so wonderful! I couldn't even have imagined such a gift, but I can't accept all of this not after everything you have done for me these past couple of days."

Waving her hand, the elder disrupted Kaoru's protests, "Nonsense child! This was nothing but what an old woman could do for you children. Especially with Tsubame going with you now it would make me feel calm knowing that you two have these herbs for your use. I will not simply here anything else about them!"

Humbled and more than a little touched, Kaoru bowed in thanks to the elder. Turning she carefully stowed the precious bundles into her pack, making sure they wouldn't get crushed or broken. Tying up her pack again, Kaoru turned to find that Tsubame had emerged from the room once more. She bore a small pack about the same size as Kaoru's and a small cloak draped over one arm. The elder had once again disappeared into the kitchen.

Standing Kaoru slung her pack over her back, strapped on the sakabato and slung her own cloak over her arm. She grasped her broad-rimmed hat in one hand and waited for the elder to come back out. They didn't wait long before she shuffled out again, carrying yet another two bundles in her hands. She handed one to Kaoru and the other to Tsubame before speaking to them,

"Ok my dears, now this is some food for you to take on the road with you. It is not much but it should last you a couple of days until you reach the next village."

Touched again by the elder's kindness, Kaoru stepped forward and pulled her into a light hug. "Thank you so much obaa-san. Your kindness will never be forgotten."

The elder hugged her back for a moment before Kaoru stepped back. She turned to Tsubame who had her head bowed and stood somewhat rigidly. She called to her in a soft voice, "Tsubame-chan…" but didn't get to finish her sentence as Tsubame had thrown herself forward and clasped the elder tightly. She buried her face into the sensible fabric of the elder's clothes and sobbed heavily. The elder just held her for a few minutes, no words needed to understand how much Tsubame was grateful to her. Silent tears streamed down the elder's face but still the two didn't say a word.

Tsubame's sobs finally settled and she stepped back, wiping her face before throwing on a huge smile. She had promised she would leave without tears and she was determined to do so. She bowed deeply and Kaoru joined her, showing their mutual respect of the elder. The elder placed loving hands on both their heads, before they straightened and headed towards the front door. They stepped out and made their way to the small gate before turning and waving at her again.

Calling out from the doorway, "You two make sure you come back and visit now!" The elder waved back and watched the two girls make their way to the north exit of the village. Tsubame kept a smile plastered on her face and walked backwards, waving the whole time until they exited through the gate and the elder couldn't be seen anymore. Then her smile dropped but she refused to let tears fall again. Walking up close to Kaoru she grasped the end of Kaoru's gi, and they both turned to the road again.

Kaoru breathed in deeply and settled her hat back onto her head, happy to be able to be on the road again. It had been nice to visit the small village but she had missed the wide open roads. They picked up a steady tread and started walking north. At first Tsubame stuck very close to Kaoru, keeping a firm hold on her gi and looking down at the dirt road passing beneath their feet. After about an hour though, her sadness at leaving the elder dropped away, and the excitement and joy of being able to travel began to bubble up inside of her.

First, she looked up and began timidly watching her surroundings. Every little thing caught her attention, the trees dotting the sides of the road, the vultures swooping high in the sky. She laughed delightedly as she watched two small rodents scampering around and chasing each other. As more time passed she became more comfortable, and eventually let go of Kaoru's gi and stepped up to walk beside her instead of slightly behind. Kaoru smiled at the girl, pleased that she was gaining some confidence already. Maybe this journey is exactly what she needs, Kaoru thought to herself.

A few hours passed by quietly, with Tsubame keeping herself busy in her surroundings and Kaoru enjoying the feel of traveling again. However as the day drug on, Kaoru noticed Tsubame started lagging slightly. Her steps, which had been light and determined earlier, were now dragging and small. Although she still showed interest in her surroundings, Kaoru noticed signs of fatigue weighing near her eyes and mouth. Realizing that maybe she had set the pace to fast for the girl, Kaoru decided to call a small break so they could eat and rejuvenate some.

"Tsubame-chan, why don't we take a small break? We can eat a snack and rest a bit, before heading out again. I want to cover some more distance and sunset is still a few hours off."

Tsubame nodded, and sighed gratefully. They walked over to the nearest tree, Kaoru settling down gracefully next to Tsubame, who sort of plunked down exhausted. They both settled their backs to the trunk of the tree and pulled out some fruit that the elder had packed for them. Biting in to the crisp fruit, Kaoru sighed gratefully. The fruit was tart and juicy and did wonders to quench their thirst. Tsubame munched happily on her own fruit, and looked around happily. The fresh air seemed to be doing her good, her cheeks were rosy even if her eyes still looked slightly fatigued.

Watching the girl Kaoru realized she would have to regulate their travel some. Having traveled almost continuously for two years, Kaoru's stamina could allow her to keep walking for almost a whole day straight and even then with minimal signs of fatigue. However, their pace would be somewhat slow until Tsubame's small frame adjusted to the life of travel. Tipping her hat down slightly, she settled a little more comfortably against the bark of the tree and stretched out her legs. Tsubame took the hint and stretched out next to Kaoru, wincing a little as her tight muscles twinged a bit.

They rested against the road side for another half hour to forty five minutes, before Kaoru decided they should head out again. Nudging Tsubame lightly, who had settled into a light doze, they both stood and stretched.

"How are you feeling Tsubame? You up for traveling a bit more?"

Tsubame stretched widely, before turning to Kaoru and nodding vigorously, "Of course Kaoru-san. I'm all ready to go!"

Chuckling at the girl's enthusiasm, Kaoru and Tsubame both walked back on to the road. This time however, Kaoru regulated her pace some, keeping them at a slow and steady walk. As they walked, Kaoru thought about how she would start off Tsubame's training. She knew the girl would be sore after their traveling today but she would need to test her endurance and see what the girl's limits were. She would also need to educate her some on travel etiquette and meditation.

Lost in these thoughts, they had traveled another good two hours, before Kaoru realized how late it was turning. The sun was hanging low in the sky, very close to the edge of the horizon. Taking a glance around, Kaoru noticed a small groove of trees further up the road and decided that would be a good place to stop for the night. She glanced over at Tsubame, who indeed looked worn out from the day.

"Ok Tsubame, I see a nice patch of trees just up the road there. I think that is a good place for us to stop for the night." Tsubame murmured in soft agreement and took up her place just behind Kaoru. They both quickened their pace eager to settle for the night.

Coming upon the bunch of trees, Kaoru noticed that it had a look of a place well used by travelers. The remnants of a small fire pit could be seen in the center of the trees, and the dirt looked packed down from many feet. Grateful that it lessened the work they needed to do, Kaoru dropped her pack near the pit, and settled her hat and cloak on top. Tsubame had also taken initiative and settled her items near Kaoru's. Kaoru did a quick three sixty look of their surroundings, and decided the first thing they needed to do was gather some wood.

She gave quick instructions to Tsubame, who took the left side of the trees while Kaoru searched on the right. Soon they had a nice pile of logs that would make for a nice fire. Settling down by the pre-made pit, Kaoru motioned Tsubame down and started her instructions on how to make a fire while on the road.

"Ok Tsubame, first things first, before we can call it a night there are a few things that I need to teach you. The first and one of the most important is how to construct a fire while you are traveling. Now, we've already collected the wood, so I'm going to show you how to set up a pit and how to stack the wood so that the fire doesn't go out of control."

Tsubame watched, wide eyed and attentive, as Kaoru first showed her how to arrange stones in a circle and then how to stack the wood within the stones. She showed her how to arrange it so the smaller kindling pieces were in the center of the pit and then how to build the rest of the logs around it to get the best blaze going. She also showed her how to sort through the wood pieces to pick out the ones that could be used as kindling, which ones would the best to burn and which ones were too wet to be used.

After assembling and de-assembling the pit three times to show her how it was done, Kaoru set Tsubame on the task. Kaoru had her arrange it several times until she could do it proficiently. Next she pulled out the flint and steel, and asked Tsubame if she had any experience with working it.

"Umm actually Kaoru-san, flint and steel is something I learned to use when I was younger, but it's been some time since I used it since obaa-san always used matches."

Glad that they wouldn't have to waste too much time on the flint and steel, Kaoru placed the items in Tsubame's hand, and told her it wasn't a problem and to practice on a small piece of kindling until she remembered how. While Tsubame worked with the flint and steel, Kaoru set about making preparations for their dinner. She dug into her pack and pulled out a small pot that they could boil water in for tea, and a small pan for warming up their food. She dug in to the store of food the elder had given them, pulling out a loaf of bread and two pieces of dried meat. She also pulled out two more pieces of fruit for dessert.

From her own pack she pulled out a small cloth ball, which contained all of the ingredients to make a nice soup for dinner. Early on in her travels, Kaoru had picked up this trick for easy soup making. The cloth ball was bound in such a way that it would slowly unravel as the water heated and release its contents, and in no time a basic but quite tasty soup would be ready. This was quite convenient for Kaoru, who had absolutely no talent when it came to cooking.

She looked over to Tsubame to see that she was doing well with the flint and steel and asked her instead to go ahead and try lighting the actual fire. Within a few moments, the fire was growing nicely, and Kaoru couldn't help but praise Tsubame on how fast she picked up the techniques. Tsubame, as usual, blushed and stammered her thanks.

"Ok Tsubame, now I wanted to show you what I'm using here for the soup. This is a simple cloth ball that I have filled with the basics stock for soup. As the water heats up, the cloth will come apart and release the stock. Not tonight, but another time, I'm going to show you how to make these. It's quite easy and it has become one of my best saving graces out here on the road."

While she spoke, Kaoru set the pot into the middle of the fire, containing water with the cloth ball. She also placed the loaf of bread onto the pan along with the meat for heating once the soup was ready. In no time at all, their simple fare was ready to be consumed. They ate in relative silence, starting the meal with the customary prayer which Tsubame made a point of remembering.

Once they were done, they split the chore of cleaning up. By this time, Tsubame was feeling sleep way heavy on her eyes and was looking forward to rolling in to her small bedroll. However, she realized her sleep would have to wait a while longer as she saw Kaoru motioning her too come sit next to her by the fire. Tsubame heaved a weary sigh, and settled herself less than gracefully next to Kaoru. Kaoru smiled a little at seeing her reluctance, but this was something that they needed to do before they called it a night.

"I'm sorry, Tsubame-chan. I know how tired you are right now, and how much you just want to sleep. But as I explained to you earlier in the day, when it comes to anything dealing with Kamiya kasshin there can be no exceptions. Every night, before we go to bed, we are going to meditate to help relax our bodies, and to open up our senses to our surroundings." She glanced over at the girl to make sure she had her attention. When she saw that Tsubame was paying close attention, she continued on.

"This is one of the most important lessons you will learn when it comes to kamiya kasshin. Over time and with a lot of practice, meditation will help hone all your senses so that you become aware of your surroundings all the time. It will help you pick up on something that is called, ki. Ki is what we call life force or life energy and all living creatures have it. With enough practice over time, and with enough meditation, you will be able to sense ki all around you even if you aren't meditating. It is one of the things that makes a good warrior great, is their ability to sense ki."

Kaoru shifted slightly so that her legs were crossed in front of her, and her hands were lightly resting on her knees. Instructing Tsubame to do the same, Kaoru began regulating her breath.

"Ok Tsubame, the first fundamental to meditation, is to be able to regulate your breathing and to clear your mind completely. I'm going to keep a count for you and I want you to try to match your breathing to mine on that count. Once you feel that you have control of the breathing, we will move on to clearing your mind."

Pitching her voice low and very soft, Kaoru started a count of 7 and matched her own breathing to it. She drew in breath for a count of 7, held it for 7, then released it in 7. She relaxed into the meditation, having done this for many years now and stayed tuned into Tsubame's own breathing pattern. At first the girl did very well and she seemed to have fallen into the pattern very easily. But after about 10 minutes, Kaoru could tell that the girl was losing her train. She began fidgeting slightly, her foot twitching a bit here, or her hand having a light spasm.

Kaoru reprimanded her lightly, to which Tsubame snapped her back straight and focused back to the breathing. Their meditation lasted for close to an hour and a half, with Tsubame's ability to hold the breathing span declining as time wore on. By then end of it, she was having trouble keeping even to the count of seven, at which point Kaoru decided to call it a night. Tsubame slumped gratefully once Kaoru stopped the count.

"Very good, Tsubame. That was an impressive effort for your first time. With more practice it will get easier and easier and soon you will start enjoying it or at least I did and still do. Now before you sleep, I want you to do some light stretches so your muscles do not become stiff overnight."

They ran through a quick 15 minute stretch, and then both settled into their bedrolls by the fire.

Yawning widely, Tsubame stared across the fire to Kaoru's figure on the other side. "Kaoru-san…?"

"Yes, what is it Tsubame?"

Blushing lightly she murmured across the fire, "I just wanted to thank you again Kaoru-san for taking me with you and giving me a chance. I won't be a disappointment to you and I am going to work really hard!"

Turning onto her side, Kaoru could see the earnestness on the girl's face. "I know you will, Tsubame. I expect nothing less from you. Now get some sleep, tomorrow we head out again and your real training will start so you need all the rest you can get."

"Hai!"

Tsubame snuggled deeper into the bedroll, feeling safe and content for the first time in many many weeks. For once, she had control over her life and she knew with every fiber of her being that this was where she needed to be. With a small smile hovering near her lips, sleep was quick to claim her, her weary body finally giving in to the day's exhaustion.

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><p><strong>Please read, review, and comment as always!<strong>


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